1 AMakhosi 10:1-29

Kwathi ukuba indlovukazi yaseShebha izwe imibiko ngodumo lukaSolomoni ngenxa yegama likaSimakade, yafika ukuzomvivinya ngemibuzo elukhuni. Yafika eJerusalema iphelekezelwa yihele elikhulu, namakameli ethwele amakha, igolide eliningi, namatshe aligugu. Yathi ukuba ifike kuSolomoni yakhuluma naye konke okwakusenhliziyweni yayo. USolomoni wayazisa konke eyayikubuza. Kwakungekho lutho olufihlakele enkosini engayitshelanga khona. Indlovukazi yaseShebha yabubona bonke ubuhlakani bukaSolomoni, nesigodlo ayesakhile, ukudla okwakusetafuleni lakhe, indlela izinceku zakhe ezazihlala ngayo, ukuma kwezikhonzi zakhe, izembatho zazo, abaphathizitsha bakhe, umnikelo wakhe wokushiswa ayewunikela endlini kaSimakade, yabamba ongezansi. Yathi enkosini: “Impela akuliqiniso konke engakuzwa ngawe ngisesezweni lakithi, ngamazwi akho nangokuhlakanipha kwakho. Kepha angizange ngikholwe, yikho ngize ngafika lapha, ngazibonela ngamehlo ami; empeleni engakuzwayo akusiyo ngisho ingxenye, kodwa wena wenezele ngokuhlakanipha nangobuhle kulokho engakuzwayo. Babusisiwe abantu bakho, zibusisiwe lezi zinceku zakho ezima njalo phambi kwakho, zizwa ukuhlakanipha kwakho. Makabongwe uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho okwenamele wakubeka esihlalweni sobukhosi sakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba uSimakade wamthanda u-Israyeli kuze kube phakade, ngalokho wakubeka ukuba ube yinkosi ukuze wenze ukwehlulela nokulunga.” Yanika inkosi amatalenta ayi-120 egolide, amakha amaningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu; akuzange kuphinde kufike amakha amaningi kangaka njengalawo indlovukazi yaseShebha eyawapha inkosi uSolomoni. Kanjalo nemikhumbi kaHiramu eyayithwala igolide livela e-Ofiri, yaletha futhi imi-alimugi namatshe ayigugu kuvela e-Ofiri. Inkosi yenza ngemithi ye-alimugi izinsika zendlu kaSimakade nezesigodlo senkosi, amahabhu nemitshingo yabahlabelelayo. Akukaze kuphinde kulethwe imi-alimugi eminingi kangaka, futhi ayikaze ibonwe kuze kube yinamuhla. Inkosi uSolomoni yanika indlovukazi yaseShebha konke eyayikufuna neyakucelayo, ngaphandle kwalokho uSolomoni ayeyinike khona ngokuphana kwenkosi. Yayisihamba, yabuyela ezweni lakubo, yona nezinceku zayo. Isisindo segolide elalilethwa kuSolomoni minyaka yonke sasingamathalenta egolide angama-666, ngaphandle kwalokho okwakuvela kubahwebi, enzuzweni yabathengisi, emakhosini ase-Arabhiya nakubabusi bezwe. Inkosi uSolomoni yenza izihlangu zegolide elicangcathiweyo ezingama-200, kwaba ngamashekeli egolide elicangcathiweyo angama-600 esihlangwini ngasinye, amahawu egolide elicangcathiweyo angama-300, amamina amathathu egolide ehawini ngalinye; inkosi yawabeka eNdlini Yehlathi eLebhanoni. Inkosi yenza nesihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu ngezimpondo zendlovu, yasinameka ngegolide elicolisekileyo. Isihlalo sobukhosi sasinezikhwelo eziyisithupha, isihloko saso siyisiyingelezi ngasemuva; kwakukhona imikhono ngapha nangapha kwendawo yokuhlala, kumi izingonyama ezimbili ngaseceleni kwemikhono. Kwakumi izingonyama ezili-12 ngapha nangapha kwezikhwelo eziyisithupha. Okunjengalokho akuzange kwenziwe kunoma yimuphi omunye umbuso. Zonke izitsha zokuphuza zenkosi uSolomoni zazingezegolide, zonke izitsha zendlu yeHlathi leLebhanoni nazo zazingezegolide, zingekho ezenziwe ngesiliva, ngoba lona lalingabalulekile ngesikhathi sikaSolomoni. Imikhumbi yenkosi eyayiseTharishishi yayisolwandle nemikhumbi kaHiramu, ngakho-ke kwakuthi kanye eminyakeni emithathu, ifike imikhumbi yaseTharishishi ilethe igolide, isiliva, izimpondo zendlovu, izimfene, nezimpigogo. Inkosi uSolomoni yaba nkulu kunawo wonke amakhosi omhlaba, ngengcebo nangokuhlakanipha. Wonke umhlaba wawufuna ukumbona uSolomoni ukuze uzwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, uNkulunkulu akubeke enhliziyweni yakhe. Baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo, isipho sakhe: izitsha zesiliva, izitsha zegolide, izingubo, izikhali, amakha, amahhashi, neminyuzi, lokhu bekwenza minyaka yonke. USolomoni waqoqa izinqola nabamahhashi; wayenezinqola eziyi-1 400 nabamahhashi abayizi-12 000, wakubeka emizini yezinqola nasenkosini eJerusalema. Inkosi yenza ukuba isiliva lejwayeleke eJerusalema njengamatshe nemisedari, eyayenza yaba njengemithombe esigodini ngobuningi. Amahhashi uSolomoni ayenawo ayevela eGibhithe naseKuwe; abahwebi benkosi babewathenge ngemali eKuwe. Bathenga inqola eGibhithe, bayikhuphula ngamashekeli esiliva angama-600, nehhashi ngamashekeli ayi-150; bakuthengisa kanjalo nabo kuwo wonke amakhosi amaHithi namakhosi ase-Aramu.